Riyadh – Mubasher: Saudi Arabia's general reserves tumbled 9.6% year-on-year, or SAR 62 billion, during January 2018 to SAR 579.8 billion ($155 billion), the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority’s (SAMA) data showed.

Month-on-month, the kingdom's general reserves fell 1.6% or SAR 9.3 billion to SAR 579.8 billion by the end of January 2018, compared to SAR 589.2 billion a month earlier, the data added.

The oil-rich nation’s current account retreated 37% year-on-year to hit SAR 35.9 billion ($9.6 billion) in the first month of the year, compared to the same month in the year before.

On a monthly basis, Saudi government's current account slid 31.2% or SAR 52.2 billion.

Most of Saudi expenses, such as salaries, are taken from the current account, as well as the country’s oil and non-oil revenues are put in it.